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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · current · bore · prune · row · calf · foot · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — happening now
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — a measure
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com